This invention is related to piston rings, and more particularly, to a one-piece piston ring having one end slidably receivable within the other end by relative motion between the two ends in a non-parallel direction with respect to the ring contact surface.
In my aforementioned co-pending patent application, a novel form of ring was disclosed having its ends formed with a tongue and groove joint so as to be relatively slidably removable at an angle of about 45.degree. with respect to the surface of the ring that slidably engages the cylinder wall. Although such an arrangement provides improved sealing properties with respect to conventional commercial rings, it is difficult to mount such a ring in those cylinders in which the piston and ring are first passed through a larger cylinder chamber. The problem is that the ends of the ring become separated before they are received into the smaller cylinder.